From Iron Dome to David’s Sling: How Israel Stays Prepared Amid Iran Retaliation Threats
As tensions with Iran increase, Israel’s multi-layered missile defence system, which includes Iron Dome and Arrow 3, can intercept rockets, drones, and ballistic missiles.
The Israeli military claims it has started intercepting incoming Iranian drones and that Iran has launched more than 100 rockets in the last few hours in retaliation for Israel’s operations.
This comes after Israel launched a massive aerial attack on Iran, dropping more than 330 missiles and deploying more than 200 fighter jets on roughly 100 military and nuclear targets. The operation’s goal, according to the IDF, was to “neutralise an immediate and existential threat.”
Israel has previously successfully intercepted Iranian missile, rocket, and drone attacks. Iran launched more than 180 missiles against Israel on September 27, 2024, claiming retaliation for the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital and the July 27 assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Israel’s defence systems successfully intercepted the majority of the missiles. According to the Associated Press, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared following the attack that Israel will get “severe punishment” for attacking the nation.
Let’s examine how well-equipped Israel’s defence systems, from the Iron Dome to David’s Sling, are in case Iran conducts further retaliatory attacks.
Israel’s well-known missile defence system, Iron Dome, was built to intercept artillery, mortars, and short-range rockets between 4 and 70 kilometres away. Three to four launchers with twenty interceptor missiles each are part of an Iron Dome battery.
This system uses radar to track and identify incoming threats, identify those that are aimed at populous regions, and intercept them with “Tamir” missiles, which are said to cost about $50,000 each. According to the Israeli military, targeted rockets have a 90% success rate.
Iron Dome, created by Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with assistance from the United States, was deployed in 2011 after being unveiled in reaction to the 2006 war against Hezbollah. That same year, it saw battle for the first time, stopping a rocket from Gaza. It has stopped thousands of rockets fired by Hamas and other organisations since October 2023.
The mid-range air defence system, David Sling, can intercept cruise and ballistic missiles up to 300 km away. Its two-stage “Stunner” missile targets only those threatening populated areas, and it is meant to eliminate threats via direct impact rather than a warhead.
The system can intercept aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles in addition to countering ballistic missiles at a distance of 100 to 200 km. About $1 million is spent on each Stunner missile.
Arrow 2: It can track threats from 500 kilometres away, engage them at up to 100 kilometres, and intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in the upper atmosphere (around 50 kilometres above Earth). Its rockets can target up to 14 incoming threats at once and travel nine times faster than sound.
Arrow 3: With an effective range of up to 2,400 kilometres, it allows Israel to expand its defence capabilities into space by aiming long-range ballistic missiles at the highest point of their trajectory, outside of Earth’s atmosphere. It was constructed especially to combat more recent adversaries, such as those armed with WMDs. It stopped a ballistic missile fired on the Israeli city of Eilat in 2023 by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iron Beam: Created by Rafael, the Iron Beam is a short-range defence system that can eliminate rockets up to 10 kilometres away using laser technology. It offers a reasonably priced substitute for conventional missile interceptors.
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